


Don't Leave Me

by EmilyMeminger



Series: The Book Thief [1]
Category: The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
Genre: F/M, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-03
Updated: 2015-04-03
Packaged: 2018-03-21 01:09:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 7,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3671838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmilyMeminger/pseuds/EmilyMeminger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Don't you leave me. You Saumensch, wake up!" My vision was blurred from tears. "Bitte." Please. "Wake up Buch Dieb. I don't want to be alone..."<br/>Himmel street is caught in a bombing, who will survive? <br/>Liesel and Rudy's future together. An alternate ending to the Book Thief</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Awakening of the Bombing

**Author's Note:**

> Thought you would like to see how Rudy made it, so here is my take on it. If someone else has written something similar, I’m not trying to copy okay? Enjoy.  
> I also have this story up on Fanfiction and Wattpad, so some of you might of read this :)  
> *Also I'm new to this site, so bear with me while I get used to everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thought you would like to see how Rudy made it, so here is my take on it. If someone else has written something similar, I’m not trying to copy okay? Enjoy.  
> I also have this story up on Fanfiction and Wattpad, so some of you might of read this :)  
> *Also I'm new to this site, so bear with me while I get used to everything.

Death's POV  
I watched Rudy lie in his bed while I waited for the last few minutes to pass before the bombs hit. It would be the poor souls living on Himmel Strasse that would have their turn to visit me – after all, I do meet everyone once.  
I'm not usually nice, it's just not me. Honestly what happened tonight, I wouldn't call me being nice. It was being amiable, agreeable and affable – and that's only the A's.  
Watching him, he slipped out of the bed he was sharing with Bettina. He couldn't sleep – he was thinking of Liesel. He had something to tell her.  
He snuck out of the house and took a long stare at her house. He looked up at her window, but then back down when a light caught his eye. There was a light coming from the small window of the basement. He lay on the ground and crawled over to look through the cold fogged window. He saw Liesel and chuckled. "She's fallen asleep reading again." He said to himself.  
He lightly tapped on the window and Liesel sat up in shock. She slowly turned scared and felt her heart settle when she saw Rudy. She stood from the large Paint can she was sat on, and walked to the window. "You scared the Hölle out of me!"  
"Can I come in?" He asked. "Ja, just be quiet." She replied. "I thought Rosa was a heavy sleeper." "Ja, but if she gets up she'll murder you." Rudy laughed back. Liesel turned and headed up the basement stairs to let Rudy in.  
"Miss me Saumensch?" He said as he walked in. "Shh! What did I tell you?" She yell-whispered. "Sorry." He said.  
"Come on." She led him down to the basement.  
"It's freezing in here." He complained.  
"It's better than being outside." She retorted. They sat on the ground on top of blankets to relieve the refrigeration of the cold floor, leaning against the wall.  
They stared at each other, when Liesel looked down holding back a smile when she came back to reality. She didn't want to admit it, but lately she knew she loved him. It became easy for Liesel herself to tell, as she found it harder to give Rudy a good comeback, and was lacking the feeling to leave him one like she used to.  
Rudy smiled back, and they sat there in some silence, when Liesel said, "And you came here because?"  
"I'm here to take you to school, what do you think Saumensch?" He smirked.  
"Very funny Rudy."  
"I couldn't sleep," He murmured. "I keep thinking about my papa." The street was still waiting on his return, alive and safe.  
Liesel didn't reply, but instead stood up to relieve her aching legs from their position.  
"What's this?" Rudy asked snatching her book.  
"Give that back Saukerl!" Trying to reach for it back, but couldn't quite as Rudy was pulling away.  
"Why can't I read it?" Rudy asked.  
"Because it's not finished." Rudy stuck his tongue at her.  
"Just the first chapter then." He pleaded.  
"Fine." She gave in; and handed the book over.  
He wrapped a blanket around him and Liesel rested her head on his lap, lying down. "Go on, say it." A voice said in his head. Rudy began to read to himself and Liesel shut her eyes to keep the light out, concentrating on his breathing. She was waiting for him to say something, and she decided that she knew Rudy was going to proceed reading past chapter one.  
I saw Rudy flip the page at the end of chapter two, proceeding to chapter 3 – Liesel was asleep by now. He stopped on the second page to close the book and shifted slightly to lie down. He felt sickened by the misfortune Liesel had in her childhood, losing her family. He wanted to ask her where they were, but she didn't know either. Together they lay on the cold concrete, sleeping.  
Right now anything could happen... Perhaps it become morning and Rosa catch them sleeping together. But instead, it was a bombing – it was a miss read on a map – no sirens that night.  
When Rudy woke, his body ached. He was in a line of dead bodies and he tasted salt water on his tongue when he saw Kurt and Bettina either side of him. Next to Bettina was his mother. "We have a survivor!" I heard someone shout. His head shot up hoping it was Liesel. No, they were calling Rudy. A LSE man helped him to his feet; he didn't even bother visiting his siblings. It was a glance at his mother and a whisper "Goodbye." He looked up, as if to me and said. "Oh Gott, Bitte let her be alive –I, never got to tell her."  
Rudy's POV  
My heart ached as I called for Liesel. "I'm sorry, there's no one else." The man said to me. The words shot me like an arrow – leaving me with no feeling in my legs and the urge to throw up. I started walking to find her, looking at all the rubble trying to make things out. I found the remains of her house and looked to see if I could find her. "Get away mein junge, it's too dangerous." A LSE man walked to me and said. "We've already checked this place, taken away the bodies."  
"Where are they?" I demanded more than questioned.  
The man began making his way down the hill of rubble, so I followed him. I saw Hans and Rosa Hubermann and checked for Liesel. She was further down the street to them, being carried away. I spotted her and ran – Please be alive!


	2. Miss Me Saumensch?

I awoke in the wreckage of Himmel Straße (Strasse-Street), and my breath caught in my mouth. After my parents it was Liesel I saw. An LSE man was carrying her from her house of number thirty-three.

I ran to her. “I’ll take her.” I demanded to the man. He looked at me, but I was too busy looking at her. He continued a few steps and laid her on a stretcher that had an old torn Swastika folded up for her to rest her head on. She’s still alive.

I dropped to my knees in front of her and cried. She had thieved books, apples too and now my heart. “Liesel...” I could hardly breathe knowing she was gone. “Don’t you leave me. You Saumensch, wake up!” My vision was blurred from tears. “Bitte.” Please.

“You can’t die now, not here! You’re going to grow up”- a pause to breathe. “And you’re going to have babies.”- Another for a sob “And you’re going to be my wife. We are going to get out of here and start new, I promise you. All I need is for you to wake up.” I broke down then, leaned over her chest, holding her hand. I prayed for her to wake up, but she already look lifeless and her breathing had slowed dramatically.

“Wake up Buch Dieb. I don’t want to be alone...” I stopped sobbing, but the tears were still flowing. “I didn’t get my kiss.”   
I sat up and leaned over for that kiss I’ve been longing for. It won’t be the same, but I took my chance to steel one. It tasted like saltwater and it was dry. My heart ached, but now in a new way. I sat up after I felt her eyelashes against my face.

I heard a croaky voice that said. “Saukerl.” My stomach fluttered and my heart raced. “Ich liebe dich, du Dieb.” She spoke once again. It hurt but this time I picked her up like she was my bride and twirled her around, resting her back on her feet.

I held her tight in a hug, laughing. “I won’t let you go.”

“Do you love me back, you never said?” Liesel looked up at me with her dangerous brown eyes.

“Of course I do Dummkopf; I was waiting for you to wake up.” We hugged for a while in peace, ignoring the pain that ached in our arms and most in our chest. Liesel’s weight was heavy on me, so I held her to stop her falling.

“Where’s Mama und Papa?” I let go of Liesel, to let her stumble over to find them for a last goodbye. I stayed by the remains of Liesel’s house, right by mine. I wanted to find her books and chase them down the river. If I find them, that would buy me another kiss.

I bent down searching through the rubble, that’s when I spotted a red dusty cover of a book through the spaces between the debris and rubble. I heard Liesel behind me, her face was streaked with dry tears. She ran to me and dropped down next to me. She buried her face in my shoulder and I wrapped my arm around her.

“Hey Saumensch, I found a book.” I said while using my other hand to push away bricks. Liesel looked up and took the book from my hand titled ‘Mein Kampf’  
“Can you find anymore?” She asked. I started digging through the rubble again, not finding anything.

“Let me know if you see an engagement ring.” I said.

“Why?” Liesel asked.

“So I can give it to you.” I saw Liesel look down to hide her blush. She began to cry again, she tried hiding that too.

“Umm, it was just a joke!” Was the first reply I could make. I didn’t mean to hurt her. I tried wiping her tears away but she instead wrapped her arms around me and said.

“I’m happy Rudy.” I sat in shock and just hugged her in return.


	3. Rudy's Promise

“Liesel, can I read some more of your book?” Rudy asked as we sat in the garden of the Bürgermeister’s house. “Ja, I know you went past chapter one!” She replied. “How?” “Cause, but don’t read chapter five yet, I’m not ready for you to read it.” “Ja, Madam.”

Rudy took out a pencil he’d brought out side with him and wrote on the last two pages of the book:

For Liesel Meminger,

Someone with a beautiful name, that no one could forget. It's too beautiful and unique to forget.  
Just like her face. Too beautiful to forget.  
I love that face, I love your face Liesel.

Ich liebe dich, because you make me happy.  
The night of that bombing, I woke in the morning and said goodbye to my mother, took a glance at my siblings and went to find you.  
I would never forgive myself if you were gone. I would never be able to move on.

I say we get out of here and make a new start,   
but I can’t do it without you, Saumensch. 

Join me.

We’ll have a house as nice as the Bürgermeister’s,   
We’ll have our own apple tree to thieve from,  
Und our own basement to make a snowman.

You can be an author and I’ll be Jesse Owens,   
Und we’ll stay together and die together of old age,   
with children to look after our grandchildren.

Ich liebe dich, Liesel Steiner.

From Rudy Steiner

 

“What are you doing?” She asked.

“I’m writing you a promise.” He grinned as Liesel took hold of the book, and I stared at her face.

“Oomph.” Rudy grunted as Liesel wrapped her arms tight around Rudy.

“Do you really mean it?”

“I did say it was a promise didn’t I?” He said.

“Where would we go – When?”

“I don’t know where, but we’re going have to ace our English. When? When this war ends, it can’t me much longer now.”


	4. Max Returns

It was a mid-to-late morning in October, when the sky was a quiet murky blue, in 1945. There in a small shop not far from their lost memories, where Rudy and Liesel stood in the back of the shop, sorting which suits belonged to which order, while Alex Steiner stood at the front desk laying out fabric to begin a new suit.

The bell of the shop rang as the door opened, and stepped in a man with swampy eyes, a clean-shaven face and hair feathers. He looked a tad nervous under his masked face that had hidden him being a Jew over the last few years. Nervous maybe because he was never sure who lived, but he’d heard rumours from the day he stepped out of the shadows.

He approached the counter. “Is there someone here by the name of Liesel Meminger?”

“Yes, she’s in the back,” said Alex. He was hopeful, but he wanted to be sure. “May I ask who’s calling her?”

Liesel stood in the back listening in to the whole thing. Her heart was jumping at the sound of his voice and her ears twitched at the sound of her name.

Rudy had stepped out after hearing the man ask for a Liesel Meminger, firstly to see who it was and secondly, ready there to protect Liesel if the man couldn’t be trusted.

Liesel stepped out, eyes twinkling of hope. She stepped out the doorway smiling, “Max.” She breathed running to his arms.

He took her in his arms and I saw his smile reach his eyes drawing lines on his face. He gave her a kiss on the top of her head, making Rudy’s heart swell of jealousy. “Who is he?” He thought to himself. It made him want to cry but he didn’t want to look stupid and turn away running.

Liesel was crying into his chest as Max rocked her crying his own tears into her caramel hair.

It hurt Rudy too much; he stormed out the shop running to the Amper River like a child. He collapsed on the bank of the river, leaning over staring back at his reflection. The water was quiet and still, moving quietly as his salty tears dripped into the water. He remembers Max now, from Liesel’s stories. He felt sick at thought of Liesel being gone as he always had from his nightmares. “Of course she wants Max, he’s handsome, and he’s stronger.” The thoughts ran threw his mind, making it hard for him to breathe through his sobs.

“Rudy?” It was Liesel.

He looked up, his eyes red of fury and defeat. He stared back at the river on his hands and knees, feeling too much pain to look at her.

She walked over and sat next to him, reaching her hand out to him before he flinched away. “Rudy,” She didn’t force anything, as she was too scared she’d upset him again.

“You love him.” He said.

“Not like that.”

“Why not? He’s good looking, he’s stronger. I’m weak, you’re better off with him!” His words hurt her as well as himself.

“Rudy, nein! If I didn’t love you, I wouldn’t have known you’d come here! Max is just another friend I can talk to. I trust you and I love you! I love you for who you are you bloody Saukerl!” She cried.

Rudy continued to cry, only this time for hurting Liesel like that.

“I’m sorry.” She said standing.

He quickly stood and spun her around before she could leave.

“I’m sorry.” He said staring into her watery brown eyes, placing his hands on her waist.

She replied by giving him his first true kiss from her. He was shocked but accepted it hugging her closer to him.

“Is that Rudy?” Max asked Alex from the trees.

“She told you about him?”

“Ja, he really does have lemon coloured hair!” He smiled at the description.

Alex smiled back and looked back over at his son.

“Papa, mind your own business!” He yelled after he pulled away from her. Liesel turned then spotting Alex and Max.

“You don’t need your brother anymore?” Max called to Liesel.

“Nein!” She called back, walking back arm in arm with Rudy.

“When’s the wedding?” Max whispered in Rudy’s ear making him blush. “Ow!” He cried after Liesel slapped him in the back of the head.

“Am I invited to?” Alex asked grinning at the joke.

“Papa!” Rudy blushed.

“You can call me Papa now Liesel.” He snickered.

 

“We’re brother-in-laws now Rudy.” Max said.


	5. Jealousy

Hands in his pockets, Max was walking freely in the streets of Molching, smiling at everyone he passed glad that he was accepted to be free and live like the rest of Germany. Around the corner he spotted Rudy, who was sat on a bench alone with his thoughts; hands clasped staring at the ground.

“Hey.” He said to Rudy.

He looked up at Max, not with a disgusted look, but just not bothered. He looked back down and ignored Max, staring back at the pavement enough to memorize every crack and mark.

“Can we talk?” He asked. Rudy had been ignoring him for weeks, jealous of seeing him around Liesel. Rudy just nodded his head not taking his eyes off the ground watching grains of dirt blow in the warm breeze.

He folded his jacket around him tighter before sitting next to him, hiding his hands back in his pockets.

“I get that you like Liesel, let’s just say I’m her brother; okay?” He faced him.

Rudy raised his head. “What are you talking about?”

Max smiled. “No stubborn person likes admitting things, so you don’t have to. All I’m saying is I treat her as my younger sister. I don’t love her they way you do, I’m only here to give you a concussion if you hurt her.”

Rudy laughed at that last bit. “You know when I was hiding in her basement,” He began. “She’d come and tell me stories. She’d tell me her story, she’d read a novel, she’d make up her own. And I’ll be honest; I heard a lot of you in them.”

“Me?” Rudy asked.

“Ja, boy with the hair the colour of lemons. I asked her if this Rudy character was real, and she would blush. Then Hans told me you liked her and I knew you were real.” Rudy hid his face from blushing. “She came home once and I asked her ‘How’s Rudy?’ she said ‘I don’t know, Rudy’s a pain in the neck.”

“Am I?” Rudy chuckled.

“I don’t know you well enough.” He commented. Max turned on the bench lifting his legs up, his arms around his bent legs. “So how’d you meet Liesel?” He shifted closer to Rudy.

“Shut up!” Rudy felt uncomfortable in embarrassment.

“If you’re embarrassed now, just you wait. I’m great at teasing; you could call me the teaser. Wait nein, that’s a rubbish name, don’t call me the teaser.”

Now that Rudy saw more of Max, he forgot all about the times Liesel would stop to hug him at the end of the day.

“A lady came and dropped her off with the Hubermann’s when I saw her for the first time. I stopped in the middle of a game, staring at her.” He laughed before continuing. “Rosa called me an arschloch and I went back to my game of fußball. I spoke to her when I went around to her house the next morning, lying to say that my mother asked me to take her to school. I took her to school and kept following her.”

“Aww that’s so niedlich!” Max replied cheekily.

“Hör auf!” Rudy cried smacking him.

“Ow, you’ve been hanging around Liesel for too long!” He joked. “You’re doing it again.” Max said noticing Rudy scratching the backs of his fingers.

“Doing what?” He frowned.

“You want to steal something.”

“How’d you know?” Rudy asked.

“Liesel told me you scratch your fingers when you want to steal something.”

Rudy looked down at his fingers noticing for the first time. “When did I do that?”

“I don’t know, but now I know that it’s true!” He laughed. “We could steal...” He started, waiting for an idea from Rudy.

“Nein, I’m not stealing today.” Rudy interrupted.

“But you want to.” Max said confused.

“Tomorrow, I’ve got things to do right now.” Rudy said concentrating on what he had on his mind.

“Like stealing?” Max said clasping his hands for warmth.

“Nein.” He replied simply.

“Is it something to do with Liesel?” Max started bugging again.

“Ja, now walk away!”

“What is on your mind?” He leaned closer to him again.

“I want to take her to dinner but have no money.” He said disappointed in himself.

“So you want to steal money?” Max asked.

“Ja, but I’m not doing it!” Rudy complained.

“You could just make dinner.”

“I can’t cook.”

“Have you tried?”

“Nein.”

“Then try, if you screw up, just make sure Liesel’s in the room when it happens and she’ll think it’s really cute that you went through the trouble and laugh at you for screwing up.” Max smiled at the advice.

“Where’d you get that from?”

“I read it in a book.”

“Okay. So I need to screw up on attempting dinner, and she’ll love me for it?” He asked.

“Ja.” Max chuckled. 

 

“What are you doing?” Liesel panicked, rushing in to the smell of burnt food.

“I tried to make you dinner.” Rudy said from the sink of burnt vegetables, looking over at a snickering Max hiding in the doorway.

Liesel hugged him, “That’s nice of you,” She kissed him on the cheek. “Don’t cook again, your Papa warned me about that.”

Then Max burst with laughter, blowing his cover.

“What else did you do?” Liesel asked turning to Max.

“Nothing, I’m laughing at Rudy. OW! You hit me!” Max screamed.

“I don’t trust you!” She smiled.

“Rudy did you want me to fold your underwear and put it in your draw?”

“Papa!” Rudy went red in the face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading :)


	6. Gone

Liesel's POV

Rudy and Alex were in the sitting room having a private conversation, while a sat alone with my thoughts and kaffee which had now very much turned into ice, staring into the fine patterns of the tablecloth. The room was quiet, except for the sound of the conversation in the next room. I couldn't make out the words but they were there.

"Hallo?" I said leaning in the door frame, showing my maturity, arms folded. I'd taken note from my mama of how to hide emotion as she did it so well. It'd been five months since the loss of a street named after heaven, and three months since Alex had returned to his son and his girlfriend.

"Could I speak to Herr Steiner?" The man said pocketing his glasses. I tried to appear uninterested just as women had learnt to not appear vulnerable.

I felt worried and confused, but I hid it and said, "Wait here." I stepped back into the house after he gave me a smile, and went into the sitting room where Alex was having a private conversation with Rudy.

I crept to the sitting room not wanting to interrupt. My lips parted in chance to speak before Alex noticed me in the door. "Just remember it's your choice if- Yes Liesel?"

"There's a soldier at the door for you." I said. I felt like I was the bearer of bad news, and I was shaking on the inside.

"Alright, I'll continue later Rudy." He left the room, when I sat next to Rudy on the sofa. He took his hand in mine and frowned about what a soldier was doing at the door with a request. The country is at war, you wait everyday for any sort of good news.

We sat in silence, our eyes tracing the room until mine met with his.

"Rudy..." Alex said from the door when he'd returned.

"Did you want me to leave?" I asked.

"If you wouldn't mind." He said sitting across from Rudy.

I let go of Rudy's hand realising that whole time I'd been squeezing it, and got up to leave. I sat at the bottom of the stairs, elbows on my knees, staring at the ground. Thoughts ran through my mind like yours are right now when I leave you hanging here-


	7. News

He found her in the bedroom where she'd left Alex and Rudy their privacy, when she looked up. She saw his face streaked with tears and it hurt to think what was wrong. She stood quickly but took my time to approach him.

"What happened?" She said through the pain of her aching throat.

"I'm being sent out to fight." That first sentenced brought the pain into her heart where it began to swell and spread. "They want me to fight in Hungary." He took the last few steps between them and embraced her, letting his tears soak in her hair. "Oh Liesel, I can't do it!"

She was crying to, and she was finding difficulty standing. "Rudy you can't. I nearly lost you to that bombing, don't leave me again!"

It was those words that reminded me of my duty. I collect souls of the living, and it made me think whether it was a good time to welcome Rudy to my world of heaven, or to let him suffer and return to his home in the comfort of Liesel.

"I have no choice Liesel! I don't want to do it but still I have to. I'm so sorry."

She hid my face and for Rudy's sake, and tried to stay strong. She was holding her breath to reduce the sobs and quickly wiped her flowing tears away. She pulled away from him and didn't dare look into his face again.

"I love you." He said and that brought my face back up to his.

"I- ." She couldn't find the words so instead she leaned in for a kiss which followed her apologies that she never had the strength to say.

It's amazing how it's always Liesel that makes me see things a different way. As you'll soon know, I notice things by their colour. I've begun noticing the variety of feelings people have when they think of me and when they are walking down my foot path at the time I've welcomed them into my arms, from the fear of what is to come, to the enthusiasm of reuniting with their loved ones. Love always gets in the way.

At the train station, the platform was filled with rows of Swastikas. No one liked train stations. It was a place of bad news, saying goodbye to your loved ones as they left nearing to my doorstep, or to find the news that someone had entered my door.

I caught the scene of Rudy and Liesel hugging outside the train with the suitcases still in his hands as she wrapped her arms around him. He turned and walked across to the train, and didn't even say goodbye. It wasn't his time to say goodbye yet.

"Rudy," came Liesel's voice on his last step into the train. He looked back over to her with a sad look, rather than his nonchalant smile. "Come home." She said. He forced a smile and nodded after Liesel realised how funny he looked in hats.

"Bye Saumensch." And he left without turning back.


	8. Leaving (Rudy's POV)

It was unusual to not have Liesel around, as she was the only one I had left. The train was filled with chatter and occasional coughs of the men around me.

Myself fighting against the thoughts of Liesel gave me a headache from the strong smell of smoke coming from both the train, and the puffs from chests as men breathed on their cigar.

Outside, it wasn't snowing for a change. The streets were lit up by the sun fighting its way through the trees, giving a yellow tone in the world around me. The trees gave the grass I nice shadow, that showed off its many green stages of growth. It was growing back mildly after it was frosted off by the cold winter snow.

Like before the death of Himmel, I didn't want to die. That still remains in my prayers. I want to grow up before I die. It hurt most to think that this train might just be leading to my death, and Liesel will be alone once again. I hated the image of Liesel alone, and it was all because of death.

I remembered how much Liesel hated trains. And it was all because of death.

"Isn't that right –eh Rudy?" The man beside me said with a nudge.

"Hm? Oh yeah." I replied after being taken out of my thoughts.

"What's on your mind?"

"Nothing." I lied.

"Is it a girl?"

"It might be." I said rather than lying. I still felt embarrassed even after expressing my feelings to her.

He kept quiet. "I know how you feel mate; I want to get home too."

"Alright lads! Unpack and get some shut eye, we start basic training in the Morgan!" Our leader shouted.

I turned around, leaning into my bed and groaned. My body was aching from the position I was forced in on the train and I already wanted to leave. I just wanted to go home and steal a kiss from Liesel. I wanted to crawl through the window of the Bürgermeister's house with that Saumensch and listen to her voice as she read from her borrowed book.

The lights went out before I buried my face in my pillow, and pretended to drift off to sleep. When I was sure everyone was asleep, I let my body shake, but I held back the sounds of my sobs to not wake the other men. I'll be done for if the others see my cry for home, even though secretly they want to go home too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is extremely short, because there is another part to this chapter. It's the same, but just in Liesel's POV.


	9. Leaving (LIesel's POV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :) Thank you all for reading this far, I owe it to you all, especially since I'm still improving. I'll have a new story being posted soon, so be sure to look out for it. It's called "For Max who taught me to dream"
> 
> PLEASE SEND YOUR REQUESTS, I LOVE WRITING FOR YOU ALL!

I watched the train take off, and it made me mad. It was a train my brother never stepped off of, and a train the Nazis took away my parents. Death always comes into my mind at the familiar features of the steam train. I was hoping this train would deal me different like the pointless luck my papa had. I wanted Rudy home, I needed him back.

I turned around and bowed my head down to my folded arms, dashing away from the platform.

"Liesel." Alex said coming closer to me.

He tried embracing me but I pulled away. "Come on, let's go home." He convinced. He wrapped his arm around me and we walked the rest of the way home.

"Liesel?" Alex was trying to talk to me.

I stood up, "I'm going for a walk."

I left the house without a word, nor did a word leave Alex. I headed for the lake where I and Rudy had once bid our "Hate Hitler's!" and past the bridge along the way.

I sat alone on the dock, head in my lap. I sat up to look up at the sky, as if it were a written message. My eyes were red from the strain of tears I was holding back. I found it useless crying at this point, as I'd done it enough. All I'm doing is hoping a worrying. I could at least save the tears on occasion of another passing. As much as I'd wished, I didn't see myself getting lucky.

I looked back down when I saw something glinting in the sun. I examined it to find two pfennig, just enough to post a letter. I pulled my book out from my satchel and tore out an empty page. It was a back page, so it was clear of words. Then a pencil came out, where the words started to write itself on the crisp page.

Dear Rudy,

I don't know when this will reach you, but it must soon because I need you to know, I want you to come home. I love you and I need you back. I'm saying the same words now as we screamed out on the lake, but you know I mustn't write them.

Come home Rudy, come home!

I left the letter in an envelope addressed to him, in a post box.

I returned home like nothing happened; that Rudy had never left, and he was just out the room.

"Rudy come home, don't leave me."

The words repeated in my head through the day and evening. I went to a cold bed, and awoke from a nightmare, waiting for Rudy to climb from his bed beside mine to comfort me. But he never came.

I looked over to his empty bed, and cried myself to sleep.

This war is draining my life away, person by person.


	10. Separation

Death's POV

Watching Rudy and Liesel I found both offended and delighted to hear their thoughts of me. I will say that Rudy's time will come soon enough, but seems now's the wrong time. Maybe tomorrow will do me, or I could collect Liesel first. You'll know when the time comes.

Rudy's days in his new location had been dreadful for him. It was a place with strong sense of me, a place I'm very familiar with. I've taken great care for the old men who have passed on their time to me, and now that a huge number of them have gone, I can work on the younger souls. It's not my fault they're conscripting children as young as thirteen. At least it makes me feel less guilty to take the slightly older boys of sixteen, like Rudy.

Rudy was becoming more accustomed to not having Liesel around, but that didn't mean she was forgotten. It hurt him too much to worry about her, so he learned to move his thoughts around her. He was eager to come back home with her, as the only reason he had for being away was me.

I could just give Rudy a broken leg, but it's not my job. Besides, this war just continues to get worse. There would be no way he's coming home with just a broken leg, no. Hitler needs all the men he can get.

I've caught Liesel in the market, buying what food she and Alex could manage with the money they were earning, and I would watch her catch her breath when she saw the smallest things like Black forest cake. Oh how much he would bug her for a slither of the creamy, chocolate desert.

"When you get your own job, you can get as much cake as you like you greedy schwine."

That shows when someone loves another. They continue to think about them at the small links things will have to them. Lemons for his hair, a teddy for his generosity; and a countdown for a race.

When Alex stands in his shop, he only hears the light taps of Liesel's shoes on the wood floor and nothing more than the occasional bell of a customer entering the shop front. It was when his only son was around, he would hear giggles of their teasing, and Rudy's yelp of pain when Liesel would slap him. Sometimes he hears Liesel's struggle to not cry, and so he'd hug her tight. It's the best thing a guy can do rather than risk talking.

Rudy does his time in the war each day and night, with lack of sleep. It's during this time that everyone is distant from one another. It's the symptom of separation along with pain. As for Liesel, it's day and night of worry with lack of sleep. When they both have their chances, it's interrupted by the nightmares that haunt their lives.

Rudy's chances of getting shot aren't accurate, as the allies don't always have the gut to shoot, but rather sit down and have a cigarette.

It scares Rudy to have patrol duty, guarding the streets for suspicions. The streets are demolished and painted in soot. Cement is chipped from crashing into one another and collapsing.

Watching Rudy, he was with one other man. In their truck were three crates of stolen art and books to be destroyed. Walls of buildings were covered in Hitler youth posters, which were the only things on the street with colour, other than the blood red banner of the Swastika. The rest of the street had the usual signs of post-bombings and attacks. The sky was clear, with long steamy clouds of fog. Time for me to find a soul.

Rudy's POV

I was sat on the back of a truck, with my gun slung around my shoulder and my helmet strapped tight under my chin. I was set to guard these crates, and it sounds that my life depends on it. I have no idea what's inside, but I'm not allowed to open them, or it's a visit to the Führer. Having the gun so close felt like I was holding a bomb about to go off any second, with no idea where or how to discard it as far away from me safely, without hurting anyone.

The hot breeze from the heat of summer and smoke of fire was making me sweat. I haven't felt a day like this ever. Posters hanging from tall buildings were swaying with minimal damage. I hated those posters, I hated Hitler.

Being out here in the open felt like I was walking toward my death sentence. It can't be far now. My surroundings terrified me half to death, as it wasn't safe. I could be a target of a sniper, or the street be target of a plane.

Then I heard it...

The sharp sound pierced my ear,

The sound was notoriously familiar,

It made me sick to hear it.

A gun shot.

And it made the world around me spin...


	11. Father

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!
> 
> Reminder for you all: You know you guys can send me your requests? I'll add them to this story, other stories and future stories you'd like me to make :D  
> I want you to request!

Rudy's POV

The sound of the bullet stunned me, but didn't hit me. Not yet.

My body reflex to the side at the sense of the notorious bullet. I hid behind a pillar, gun at the ready, and looked over at the other man to negotiate what to do.

"Someone needs to distract him." He said.

The gun went off again. It hit the pillar.

When the dust in my face cleared, I spoke.

"And?" I asked.

"Someone needs to get him." He said.

"Schneider, I'll go." I offered.

"No, you're young. You have a family." No, I'm a man.

"So do you. Let me go." I demanded that time. What am I getting myself into?

"Okay, I'll distract." He said reloading his gun. "On three. Drei, zwei, ein."

I bolted, running towards the shooter, minding the debris on the ground around the building. Schneider began firing at the building where the bullets were coming from as a distraction. I stopped every now and then to shield myself behind chunks of cement.

I crept into the building, gun at the ready. I was terrified. I wanted my job done so I could go home. Liesel.

I went upstairs and the door. Poking my gun in first, I entered the room. Nothing. I entered and flinched at another gunshot. Now I know where he is. At the end of the room, I stepped towards another door.

I came the doorway, to find a boy screaming, "No! No!" He cried in English. Nein?

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph." I breathed in relief and took the boy by the collar and out the building. I took him to the car where Schneider could translate for me.

"Where do you live?" I spoke. Schneider repeated in English.

"He said his father's working here. He left the town hall when he wandered off." Schneider translated to me.

"Take him back; I'll stay guard until the truck comes to load the crates." I said. "Be careful, you'll have to leave him far to walk or you'll be blown."

I sat myself back on the truck, and began to re-bandage my sprained ankle with a splint.

Liesel's POV

I still helped Alex with the shop, but it was these days that I keep to myself.

It was early that morning, and there were many clothes to be repaired. The shop's closed at this time, so I don't expect any customers.

I traced the pattern of the worn fabric, and around the tear, and then began to poke the needle through a stitch in the trousers. Through the fabric, pull the chain of thread, and then poke back through. The cycle repeated as my mind read nothing. Time went by without a glance of the clock, and I didn't stop for a moment.

I was enjoying the silence, until it was interrupted by the shop bell. The needle slipped and I pricked myself, making a light cut on two or three layers of skin. I hissed in pain and dropped the needle back on the table and pushed the trousers off my knee.

I took out a handkerchief and wrapped it around my hand. I hated blood, especially my own. I can't stand looking at it. I felt shaky when I saw the red stain beginning to peek through.

"Who could be at the door during this time?" Alex said trotting down the stairs not noticing me. We only hope it's nothing bad. We've had nightmares of the telegram boy coming with an envelope to say Rudy's died or missing in action.

He came back, "It's fine, just another reminder."

I breathed out and sniffed back the tears.

"What'd you do to your hand?" He said pulling up a stool beside me.

"The needle it - it slipped."

He pulled out a fresh hanky and took away the bloodied one. He leaned back to reach the faucet and rinsed it, to clean away the blood. Then he bandaged it.

"Better?" He asked.

"Ja." I replied. I almost felt stupid to of that happened, it was embarrassing.

He then leaned close and hugged me, and it warmed my heart as if it were my father.

I didn't worry about the pain of loss, I ignored the longing for Rudy, and I let my hand go numb.

"Enjoy the hug, because when Rudy's back he'll want you all to himself."

I laughed and went red with the embarrassment.


End file.
